Redemption's Shadow

by M.E. Astroth

Detective Lieutenant Dennis Knox committed his first murder at the age of fifteen, ending over a decade of physical abuse at the hands of his father. The patricide sealed his surrender to the voice, the malevolent conscience that provided him with succor as a child, companionship as a teenager, and a source of madness that had sustained him through three decades of murder.
Now middle aged and adrift, Knox meets Eva Dickens, a local business owner who bears an uncanny resemblance to the mother who abandoned him in childhood. Their chance encounter leads into an affair that promises to both heal his past and redefine his future.
But while Knox seeks his deliverance from the voice that continues to drive him to murder, he is also leading the investigations into the mounting homicides. Desperate to avoid exposure to his wife, his partner and his colleagues, Knox devises a plan to use the killing spree for his ultimate escape and embarks on a path that will forever change the lives of everyone within his orbit.

400 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 19, 2023

Reviews

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Both gritty and suspenseful, ME Astroth’s debut novel takes us into the deranged mind of a serial killer. A psychological thriller, Astroth is masterful at drawing the reader into the evolving madness of a brilliant detective, Denny Knox, who has the perfect job for hiding his grisly murders. Triggers that even Knox doesn’t fully understand cause the impulse to kill to take over. His intelligence and skill at manipulating people keep his deeds hidden until he starts to make mistakes. The characters in the book, including his coworkers and wife, are well developed, believable, and sadly taken in by Knox’s subterfuges. This book is a page turner with surprise turns in the plot that keep you in suspense until the very end. I highly recommend it.